Needle sharpening device



Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED sTATes PATENT orifice" NEEDLE SHARPENING DEVICE Vivian T. Smith, Upper Mont-clair', N. vJ.

Application July 21, 1939, Serial N0. 285,755

6 Claims.

This invention relates to needle sharpening devices and has particularly to do with a device for sharpeningV hypodermic needles.

The necessity for sharp hypodermic needles is obvious. Many attempts have been made to provide a device which will sharpen these needles after use to a degree of sharpness which corresponds with that of a new needle. Such sharpening devices must be of the type Which may be conveniently manipulated by relatively unskilled operators with a high degree of success.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved sharpening device which overcomes the objections which have been made against previous devices of this type which permit successful sharpening of needles by persons not specically trained in this regard. Another object of the invention is to provide a sharpening device which will maintain the proper angle on the end of the needle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sharpening device which will receive needles of varying shapes and sizes with equal facility and which permits ready removal of the needle from the stone during a sharpening process so that it may be tested and examined. Another object of the invention has to do with a magnifying means combined with the device to permit exact adjustment of a movable stone so that the proper angle may be ground on the needle.

Other objects and features of the invention, including means for furnishing the proper support for a needle, Will become evident in the following description and claims.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a plan View of the combination of th vholder for the abrasive element and the holder fying member I3. The abrasive element consists of a substantially rectangular stone having a slightly crowned surface I4. This stone is mounted in a recess in the base on a frame I5. The frame is pivoted at IB to uprights Ib on a bar I1 which is mounted in the base. stone may thus be `tilted with respect to the base. A screw I8 is pivoted at I9 to the frame I5 and an adjusting nut 2B is positioned in a recess in the base directly below the stone. Movement of this nut will cause a lifting of the rear edge of The i the stone so that the face thereof may be positioned at various angles with respect to the base.

Directly infront of the stone I2 is a cylindrical grooveY 2| which is parallel with the stone. At one end of the stone, the magnifying glass I3 is mounted in the base so that it may be pivoted to a position in alignment with the face 0f the stone (see dotted lines in Fig. 4).`

An important element of the invention is the needle holder II. A preferred embodiment of this element consists of a cylindrical member made up of two parts 25 and 26. These parts are intended to be mounted coaxially and held together by a bolt 21 so that there may be relative rotation between the members. Each of the members at their abutting ends is provided with an annular restriction which is intended toreceive a metal band 28, the outer surface of which is ush with the surfaces of the members 25 and 2E. A further restriction on the member 25 provides an annular recess for an extensible member 29 which is wrapped around thel member 26. One end of the member 2S is formed in a loop which is retained by a recess 33 in the restricted portion of member 26. The other end of the member 29 passes through a ltangential opening 3| in band 28 and is provided with a clip member 32 for receiving the butt end of a needle vto be sharpened. A guiding member 33 is positioned at the opening 3I to direct the member 23 through an opening therein.

A plate 35 is fitted to the band member 28 and fastened thereto by screws 36.' This plate member is provided with an upright projection 31 along one edge thereof and this projection is provided v/ith an aperture 33 to receive the point end. of a needle to be shapened. A locking member 39 moves in a slot 40 and serves to clamp securely the point end of the needle. This clamping is accomplished by a screw portion 4I Awhich passes through a nut 42. The aperture 33 and the end of the member 33 are formed as a V so that they presentl a diamond shaped opening. The metal vused in the upright member 31 and in the locking member 39 is preferably of brass or other metal which is softer than the metal commonly used in needles. ring of the needles. l

Pivoted at one end of the upright member 31 is a finger Yrest 43 which may be moved down over the projection 31 to permit pressure to be placed on the needle mounting member.

Referring to Fig. 3, it Will be seen that a relative rotation between the member 26 and the band 28 will result in a movement of the eXtensible member 29 in or out of the guide member 33. For example, a movement of the member 26 in a clockwise direction will cause the clip end of the member 29 to move out to a position shown by the dotted lines. The section in Fig.

This prevents mar- '7 shows the member 29 to be curved in such a manner that it will provide a relatively stiff tangential extension on the mounting member. The clip device 32 may be used to hold the butt end of the needles being sharpened and the member 29 may be moved in or out to accommodate various lengths of needles. When a needle 44 is once mounted in the mounting means,

l I which is quite independent of the base I0, the means Il may then be placed in the groove 2l as shown in Fig. 1, with the point of the needle resting on the stone surface I4. The magnifying glass I3 may then be moved up to the dotted line position of Fig. 4 and the nut 20 can be rotated until the surface of the stone coincides exactly with the bevel on the point end of the needle. The member Il may then be reciprocated in the groove 2| by placing the thumb and middle iinger on the ends of the holder Il,

a slight pressure being exerted on the member 43 by the index finger. This will cause a sharpening of the needle. The length of the member Il has preferably such a relationship with the length of the groove 2| that the needle will remain on the stone during its movement back and forth. At any time during the sharpening it will be seen that the needle may be removed from the stone and inspected and again replaced on the stone without any changing of the setting with regard to the bevel. For example, in some cases, it is necessary to interrupt the sharpening action to remove burrs which form on the needle.

The present sharpening device is also adapted to sharpen needles which are `provided with a stylet. A spring clamping means should be provided which will hold the stylet in place in the needle as it is being sharpened. This spring clamp is preferably arranged to cooperate with the `clip 32 and extensible mamber 29.

What I claim is:

1. In a device adapted for sharpening hypodermic needles, a base, an abrasive element movably mounted on said base whereby the face of said element may `be disposed at various angles with said base, means independent of said base for mounting a needle to be sharpened 4comprising a smooth cylindrical member, a clamping means on one side thereof` for receiving and holding one end Aof a needle, and an extensible means mounted on said member adapted to support the other end of the needle, said base being provided with a longitudinally extending cylindrical groove parallel with said abrasive element adapted to slidably and rotatably receive said needle mounting means.

2. In a device adapted for sharpening hypodermic needles, a base, an abrasive element movably mounted on said base whereby the face of said element may be disposed at various angles with said base, means independent of said base for mounting a needle to be sharpened comprising a cylindrically shaped member provided with an annular restricted portion, a retaining band around said restricted portion provided with a tangential opening, an extensible member adapted to be disposed around said restricted portion and having one end passing through said tangential opening whereby relative rotation between said cylindrically shaped member and said band will result in extension of said one end of the extensible member tangentially away from said band. and means on the extending end f said extensible member for retaining the butt end of a needle to be sharpened.

3. In a device adapted for sharpening hypodermic needles, a base, an abrasive element movably mounted on said base whereby the face of said element may be disposed at various angles with said base, means independent of said base for mounting a needle to be sharpened comprising a cylindrically shaped member provided with an annular restricted portion, a retaining band around said yrestricted portion provided with a tangential opening, an extensible member adapted to be disposed around said restricted portion withone end mounted therein and having one end passing through said tangential opening whereby relative rotation between said cylindrically shaped member and said band will result in extension of said one end of the extensible member tangentially away from said band, and means on the extending end of said extensible member for retaining the butt end of a needle to be sharpened.

4. In a device adapted for sharpening hypodermic needles, a base, an abrasive element movably mounted on said base whereby the face of said element may be disposed at various angles with said base, means independent of said base for mounting a needle to be sharpened comprising a cylindrically shaped member provided with an `annular restricted portion, a retaining band around said restricted portion provided with a tangential opening, an extensible member adapted to be disposed around said restricted portion and having one end passing through said tangential opening whereby .relative rotation between said cylindrically shaped member and said band will result in extension of said one end of the extensible member tangentially away from said band, means on said band adjacent said tangential opening for clamping the point end of a needle to be sharpened, and means on the extending end of said extensible member for retaining and furnishing support to the butt end of the needle to be sharpened.

5. In a device adapted for sharpening hypodermic needles, a base, an abrasive element on said base, means independent of said base for mounting a needle to be sharpened comprising a member, a clamping means on one side thereof for receiving and holding one end of a needle, and an extensible means mounted on said member adapted to support the other end of the needle and means to rotatably and slidably mount said needle mounting means on said base.

6. In a device adapted for sharpening hypodermic needles, a base, an abrasive element on said base, means independent of said base for mounting a needle to be sharpened comprising a member provided with an annular restricted portion, a retaining band around said restricted portion provided with a tangential opening, an extensible member adapted to be disposed around said restricted portion and having one end passing through said tangential opening whereby relative rotation between said member and said band will result in extension of said one end of the extensible member tangentially away from said band, means on said band adjacent said tangential opening for clamping the point end of a needle to be sharpened, and means on the extending end of said extensible member for retaining and furnishing support to the butt end of the needle to be sharpened.

VIVIAN T. SMITH. 

